For Christine Cushing, her love of culinary arts wasn't just
a passing fancy. To follow her lifetime passion for cooking, she pulled
out of linguistic studies at the University of Toronto
to take George
Brown College's Food and Beverage Management course.
Excited about her new classes, Christine was always inquisitive and
inventive. For one assignment where the goal was to prepare a pasta
dish, she decided to add a touch of cinnamon to the meat sauce. It's
a common practice in her home country Greece, meant to give just a hint
of sweetness. The instructor detected the flavour immediately and though
it wasn't what he asked for, he had to admit it tasted good.
That's what Christine loves about cooking - there's always
something new to learn. "The best thing about making food is you
create and inspire to create," she says.
Christine used her creativity with the production of Pure by Christine
Cushing, a slightly fruity extra virgin olive oil. She's also
the host of her new cooking show called Cook With Me on the Food Network
and says the Food and Beverage Management program's practical
approach to food provided the perfect base for her innovative nature.
More than that, the course was the best way for her to establish a career
in the culinary world. The people she met were inspiring and the advice
was invaluable.
Christine has since enjoyed a string of successes, including working
at the Four Seasons hotel, Scaramouche restaurant and King Ranch Health
Spa. She started teaching and conducting cooking parties in people's
homes, then moved to cooking on television and has published two best-selling
cookbooks, with a third on the way.
With the launch of her olive oil and the constant work involved with
producing a television show, Christine is very busy. But her voice is
alive with passion when she talks about her career and she shows no
signs of slowing down.
Christine has a little advice to students at George Brown. "Take
as much as you can and make it the best you can." For her, success
is about loving what you do and putting all your energy into it - it's
truly all about the food.
"It's a simple joy that makes people feel great," she
says. "I'm really living my dream."
Join the Hospitality & Tourism Chapter of the Alumni
Association.
Or, contact information the Hospitality & Tourism Alumni association
at:
Hospitality & Tourism Alumni
300 Adelaide St. E.
Toronto, ON M5A 1N1
To learn more, visit the George
Brown College Alumni page.
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